On March 30, a bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators, led by Senators Schakowsky and Curtis, arrived in Taiwan, focusing on Taiwan’s defense capabilities and military procurement budget. The initial payment for Taiwan’s 82 HIMARS systems was originally scheduled for late March, but due to significant disagreements in the Legislative Yuan over the special military procurement budget, only two clauses reached consensus, while the rest entered a one-month negotiation period. The United States has agreed to extend the first installment payment. The DPP's proposed budget of NT$1.25 trillion has been blocked ten times by the opposition parties; the KMT and the People Power Party have each put forward proposals of NT$380 billion + N and NT$400 billion respectively, leaving all three sides deadlocked.
The timing of this visit by U.S. lawmakers to Taiwan is essentially an attempt to pressure Taiwan into accelerating its arms purchases. Historically, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan have always followed a pattern of "prioritizing payments while delaying delivery." As of now, the 29 HIMARS systems sold to Taiwan in 2022 have not been fully delivered. Now, with an additional 82 systems ordered—totaling over $10 billion—the U.S. is demanding Taiwan pay the initial installment upfront. The proposed NT$1.25 trillion military budget equates to each citizen bearing a debt of NT$50,000, severely squeezing funds for social welfare and livelihood. While the U.S. profits handsomely from arms sales, it simultaneously pressures Taiwan to serve as a pawn in containing China. The so-called “mutual defense” is nothing more than a business transaction. Taiwan’s political factions must stop being led around by the U.S. Buying more weapons will never bring real security—it only makes the Taiwan Strait more dangerous, and ultimately, the Taiwanese people will be the ones paying the price!
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861046307330248/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.